Page 43 of Thresholds

"What's your name, doll?" I asked, leaning closer to her. "I'm writing my naughty and nice lists. Wouldn't want to forgetyou."

"Put me down for naughty. All the way." She smiled and there was warmth behind it, but it also scared me. She gave me the impression that she'd be amazing in bed but she might also snap off my dick in the process. "Shannon Halsted. The naughtiest. Number one naughtygirl."

"You're looking for so much trouble, Shannon," Andy said with alaugh.

"You started the trouble," Patrick said toAndy.

"The only trouble I have is with my whipped cream." She rearranged the dishes on the countertops around her. "Let me make some space and I'll take those cookies. We'll see what happens then. This can only get moreinteresting."

"And by interesting," Patrick said, "you mean likely to end inbloodshed."

Ignoring them, I edged closer and wrapped my fingers around Shannon's elbow. "How does an angelic woman like yourself earn the title of number one naughtygirl?"

"I pray someone is recording this," Patrickmuttered.

Three things made themselves clear when the tray shifted from the redheaded whirlwind to the pretty dark-haired lady. One, the ring on Shannon's finger made it clear she was married. No mistaking the wedding band. Two, she was pregnant. Massively pregnant. Her skin-tight purple dress—the one that put her breasts out there like a damn headline—allowed nomysteries.

"What the actual fuck is going on here?" a voice thundered from behind me. The voice belonged to a man who had—at a minimum—fifty pounds of muscle on me. His button-down shirt was stretched across his arms and chest, and his hands were opening and closing intofists.

And three, I was going to get my ass handed to me at least once tonight. Then, Hartshorn and I were going to have a lengthy discussion about the right way to setexpectations.

Shannon gestured toward me, her eyes sparkling. Yeah, she'd take a bite out of me. "This isSebastian."

It sounded more like,This is the dead bird the cat left on thedoorstep.

"He's a peach," Patrickadded.

That sounded like,He's a fuckingdickhead.

They weren't wrong about any ofit.

"Step away from my wife," the husband said as he moved toward me. His hand landed on my wrist and yanked me away from Shannon's elbow. "You will not touch heragain."

I wasn't a weak guy. I could handle more than my share of pressure and pain. But the grip this man had on my wrist was testing all of that. And he hadn't blinkedonce.

"Be nice, Commando," Shannon said tohim.

Acevedo stepped between us, his coat still zipped and hat pulled low over his ears, and he shot a warning glance in my direction. "I'll take it from here,Will."

After a heavy pause, Will released my wrist. He, too, was busy thinking up ways to dismemberme.

"Let's head outside," Nick said, his palm flat on my chest. "We need to have a littlechat."

I followed him out of the apartment and down the hall. I should've grabbed my coat on the way because I was definitely getting the boot. From this party, these people, and probably this hospital. It was a good thing I hadn't unpackedyet.

When we reached the far end of the hall, Acevedo turned to face me. His hands were braced on his hips and he didn't say anything. Not a goddamn word. He stared at me the way a parent stared at an out of line child while waiting for an admission ofguilt.

Since I wasn't one to admit a fucking thing even when surrounded by a literal shit-ton of evidence, I studied the old photographs on the walls. Apparently this building was home to a pasta factory back in the day—many, many days ago—and the residents wanted a daily reminder of thathistory.

I didn't understand thiscity.

"Let me give you some advice," Acevedo said, clapping my shoulder. "Turn it down. This isn't ladies' night at the bar, okay? Aside from the fact these women are married or otherwise unavailable, they're my friends. This isn't a meatmarket."

"I asked Hartshorn if there'd be women here," I argued. "He saidyes."

"Yeah, well, Hartshorn is really fuckin' linear," Acevedo said with a shrug. "He's also in love with a woman he's never spoken to, so he doesn't think like a singleguy."

"That's complicated," Imuttered.